As news broke that the death toll from the terror attack in Manchester rose to eight, political leaders in the U.K. were getting in a last day of campaigning.

Voters go to the polls in a matter of hours, with U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May seeking to strengthen her hand in upcoming Brexit talks with the European Union with an increased Parliamentary majority.

CGTN’s Richard Bestic reports from London.

UK Prime Minister Theresa May has attempted to return her campaign’s focus to what she would see as the core issue – Brexit.

“The question is who do you trust to have the strong and stable leadership to get the best deal for Britain in Europe. Brexit matters. It’s the basis for everything else,” May said.

Opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn finishes the campaign on a high possibly not because he’s likely to win, but because he’s done better than pundits expected.

One opinion poll suggested he might just force a hung parliament, where no party has an overall majority. His campaign proved popular particularly among the young.

The terrorist outrages in Manchester and London, which killed 30, twice brought election campaigning to a halt.

A measure of the heightened alarm, police in London shut down roads around the construction site for the new U.S. embassy after reports of two suspicious vehicles.

As Britain goes to the polls, Scotland Yard has said voter safety is forefront of their concerns, with dedicated police operations across the UK capital and increased patrols.

With the opening of Britain’s 50,000 polling stations, it won’t be so much the economy, possibly not even Brexit that will dominate the thoughts of people going to vote. It will be whether they’re secure and safe when they put their mark on that voting slip.